Repaired Perception
by PartyMashedPotatoes
Summary: One-shot. Nightwing was struggling with his thoughts, considering if he should return from his leave of absence, though he was fighting with his feelings. Can he find the strength to return after all that has happened? It isn't easy coping with such an incredible loss, but staying away from his friends can't heal the hurt either. Here's a collection of his thoughts in that time.


**A/N: This is one-shot about Nightwing. I've never actually seen season two of Young Justice, and I've only seen a few episodes of season one. I read about it on YJ wikia though, and I love Dick Grayson. Anyway, here it is. The timeline is after the end of the show. He's been on leave for a while and this is a reflection of his thoughts. Rate and review! Love you!**

Dick Grayson opened his eyes suddenly, and jolted upright in his bed, breathing heavily as he did. After everything that had happened, he still had nightmares from the events that took place in mere childhood.

He scratched his head, looking to his left. The room was pitch black. Even the accustomed light of his alarm clock had vanished from the room prior to his waking. _Power outage?_ he wondered, before reaching over to try his lamp. The lamp didn't work either. _Hmmm..._

He sighed, moving the blankets to his right side, and climbing out of bed to check outside the window. He moved his curtains out of the way so that he could see. The dazzling city lights met his dark, blue eyes, dancing across them, illuminating even the emotion inside. Leaning to the side of the window, looking out, he realized something. He couldn't live like this, he didn't want to. He couldn't stand being apart from his friends.

He shook his head, as though he were clearing his mind, but he wasn't - he was changing it.

He released the curtain, letting it fall back into place as he immediately rushed into the kitchen, snatching his cell phone off the charger. He wasted no time turning it on, as he rested both arms on the counter, leaning over the phone eagerly. His heart was racing, and by now, so was his mind.

He bit his lip, hesitant to unlock the phone. How could he go back to his team like that? Leaving was for the best, anyway, and he was doing fine. They were better off without him. _Okay,_ he thought. _I won't._ _What was I thinking?_ He hit the sleep button, and slid the phone away from him. He didn't know what exactly he was thinking, but he missed his team. Not enough to go back per se, he'd made the right choice, and he knew that. He just couldn't shake the feeling that... They needed him? No. It wasn't that, it was much worse. _He_ needs _them._

He shook his head again, this time slower, as he stared at his phone, thinking about his time with the Team. The only thing he could hear was a voice in his head telling him to choose. He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes, thinking back to a moment he and his mother had shared.

 _He was only six, and it had been a rough day at the circus. He was sad because he had lost his favorite toy truck in the town they had just left._

 _His mother bent down to his level, holding out a handful of rainbow-colored candy. Dick just sniffled, rubbing his right eye with a small hand. "We'll get you another toy soon," his mother said._

 _"I want th-the one I-I had." He began to cry softly._

 _His mother pulled him into a hug as the bus stopped. "Come with me." She took his small hand and led him off of the bus, taking him into a nearby toy store._

 _They walked past the legos, the action figures, and the board games. They even walked past the toy train. They arrived at the next to the last aisle and she gave his hand a small squeeze before letting go, allowing him to walk in front of her._

 _He walked down the aisle, blue eyes wide as he stared up at the shelves in pure amazement. "Whoaaa..." he whispered, beaming. Trucks. Everywhere._

 _His mother folded her hands together, holding them to her chest, smiling._

 _After a few minutes of pulling things from the shelf for him, she turned to him with a question. "Are there any you like?"_

 _His small upper lip curled inward as he thought about it, soon coming to a conclusion. "I don't know..." he said quietly._

 _His mother didn't stop smiling, instead she got down to his level once again, squatting beside him. "You know something? You never_ have _to make a choice on something you can't decide on. If you need to, though, choose what makes you happy. The rest will fall..." She reached into the pocket of her nice, brown jacket, hiding in her hand what she pulled out. "Into place." She revealed none other than his original toy truck, having only found it as they walked into the store._

 _His eyes grew wider and his smile shined with every bit of radiant joy a single person could feel. He grabbed the toy, but not without hugging his mom first. "Thanks! How'd you find it?"_

 _"Oh, it was on the floor as we were leaving the circus, and I picked it up for you. I just forgot I had it." She gave him a quick wink and he giggled, before the two left the store, with both an old and a new treasure._

He opened his eyes, tears in them as he let out a shaky breath. "If you ever have to choose..." he said, through gritted teeth.

He went to change into his uniform, leaving his phone on the counter. Afterwards, he left his apartment as Nightwing, slamming the door behind him.


End file.
